Page 104 - Photoshop User February 2017

BOOK REVIEWS ›› PETER BAUER ››
The Anti-HDR HDR Photography Book: A Guide to Photorealistic HDR and Image Blending
By Robert Fisher
Don’t think of this as a Photoshop or Lightroom book, but rather as a concept book. In addition to Photoshop, Lightroom, Bridge, and Camera Raw, the author uses non-Adobe soft- ware, including Photomatix and SNS-HDR Pro. The author starts at the beginning—selecting an appropriate camera and accessories—and works through the process of capturing photos appropriate for HDR (high dynamic range) processing, doing the actual processing in a number of ways, and ends with conversion to black and white. His goal is to help you take advantage of the great power of HDR imagery without producing the all-too-common garish, over-saturated, sur- real images often produced using HDR software. The actual goal is to produce a realistic-looking image with great detail through the spectrum, from shadows to highlights. You’ll find a good discussion on tone mapping and excellent coverage of blending, both automatically and manually. Good comparison images, too.
Pet Photography: The Secrets to Creating Authentic Pet Portraits
By Norah Levine
The first 60% of this book is appropriate for almost all pho- tographers, especially portrait (people or pets) photogra- phers. The rest of the book focuses on, in separate chapters, the challenges of photographing dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. The author has sections on understanding each type of animal’s behavior, how to pose them, getting the animal’s attention, trying to show an animal’s individual character, and troubleshooting. These chapters are unique in content and the author has many very incisive observa- tions. The author’s experience and experiences are on full display as she discusses the unique challenges of photo- graphing the different species. You’ll also find information on the difference between shooting on location and in your studio (where you have far more control over some very important aspects of photography, especially lighting). Even if you just create photos of your household pets, there’s a lot here that can improve your images.
Publisher: Rocky Nook Pages: 280 Price: $39.95 (hardcover)
Publisher: Focal Press
Price: $39.95 (paperback)
Pages: 232
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